Nico Rosberg still ranks Toto Wolff as best F1 team boss above Christian Horner

2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg believes that Mercedes still have the best team boss anywhere in Formula 1 with Toto Wolff at the helm.

Wolff took his first steps in Formula 1 as a part-owner of the Williams team, later taking over as an executive team director of Mercedes in 2013 when he bought into the outfit, as well as taking over as team principal.

That proceeded a remarkable run of dominance to come for the German manufacturer, who won eight Constructors’ titles in a row from 2014-2021, as well as seven Drivers’ titles in that time, the most successful streak Formula 1 has ever seen.

F1 2023 though marks the second season of struggle for Mercedes to add to their glowing honours list, Wolff having already declared that his team have gone in the wrong direction with their W14 concept.

Red Bull meanwhile have grown from Mercedes challengers in recent years to now being Formula 1’s dominant force, the team having started the F1 2023 season with a pair of poles and one-two finishes.

Since they joined the grid in 2005, Red Bull have been overseen by Christian Horner in the team boss role, someone who Wolff has clashed with on multiple occasions over the years.

But, while Red Bull are looking unstoppable in their F1 2023 quest to make it back-to-back Constructors’ titles, and Max Verstappen out to make it three Drivers’ titles in a row, Rosberg still believes that Wolff cannot be topped when it comes to the F1 team bosses.

Red Bull also won four Constructors’ and Drivers’ title doubles in a row from 2010-13.

Reflecting on Mercedes’ current struggles, P4 their best result so far in F1 2023, Rosberg as per Express Sport said: “It’s incredibly difficult, it’s an incredibly difficult situation for everyone.

“Because they’re so used to success and they’ve written the greatest success story ever written in sport, with eight World Championship titles in a row.

“And yes, Toto is ultimately the one who is responsible and still is. For me, he is the best team manager and team boss here in Formula 1.

“The competence is simple, I’ve experienced that myself and this success in recent years is proof of that. But every success comes to an end at some point, that’s always been the case and now it’s just an incredibly difficult challenge to make this turnaround again.”

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Can Toto Wolff emulate Christian Horner with Mercedes resurgence?

Both Wolff and Horner are right up there in the conversation about who is the best team boss in Formula 1 history, though Horner has overseen something at Red Bull which Wolff is yet to prove that he can replicate at Mercedes.

The start of the turbo-hybrid era in 2014 brought an abrupt end to Red Bull’s dominant ways, like how the all-new 2022 Technical Regulations marked Mercedes’ decline from Constructors’ title winners to no longer being able to challenge for that honour.

However, Red Bull after many years of rebuilding have returned to the summit, Verstappen’s 2021 Drivers’ title breaking their baron spell, and now it is hard to see who is going to stop them hoovering up the trophies in the coming years.

Wolff now then has the opportunity to show that he too can do what Horner has done, by leading Mercedes back to the summit after a huge setback.